


Cosmic Dare

by strange_glow



Series: Virus Prequals [2]
Category: Weiß Kreuz
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, M/M, Shonen Ai
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-04
Updated: 2015-07-04
Packaged: 2018-04-07 17:15:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,501
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4271442
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/strange_glow/pseuds/strange_glow
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Virus Prequals Part 2</p><p>14 can be a very awkward—and dangerous—age.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Cosmic Dare

 

“You’re in loooove,” his roommate mocked from where he was sprawled on his bed in his undershirt and briefs

Brad smirked, aiming the gun at the full length mirror on the closet door.  “It _is_ very sexy.” 

“You’re also crazy,” Yuuji said, turning a page in the men’s fashion magazine he was looking through.

“Bond, James Bond,” Brad intoned, posing. 

“Ass,” Yuuji chuckled. 

Brad kissed the gun, “Don’t listen to him, Baby, he’s just jealous.” He stroked the black metal configurations.

“It’s a Sig Saur P220, not a Walther PPK or a Beretta,” Yuuji pointed out.  “Therefore not a ‘Bond’ gun.”

“Who cares?” Brad tucked it down the back of his waist band and turned to pose again, looking over his shoulder.  “’Does this arsenal make my butt look big?’”

“That’s the last time I let you watch ‘Sam and Max’.  I hope that thing isn’t loaded.”

Brad pulled it out and aimed it at the ceiling. 

Yuuji blinked as the gun went off and plaster flaked down around him. 

Someone pounded on the ceiling.  _“Crawford, you little fuck!  I know that was you!”_

“Brad…” Yuuji started to say.

Brad’s eyes narrowed as he took more careful aim and shot again. 

The pounding and yelling stopped, followed by a thud and more flaking plaster.

Yuuji took a deep breath and let it out slow.  “That’s going to stain.”  He dusted off the plaster and turned another page in his magazine.   

“I need a shoulder holster,” Brad said, holding the gun against his rib cage.  “Shoulder holsters are cooler.”  He practiced drawing.   

Yuuji watched him.  While he was in his undershirt and uniform slacks, he moved as if he were manipulating a jacket.  Probably some future memory of wearing one with a holster.  “Are you sure you’re okay with what they’re going to do?”

Brad pulled the magazine from the gun and looked at the bullets left in it.  “I suppose.  It’s not like I can say no, now is it?” he stated bluntly.

“I just think it’s really strange that they would want to do that to you.  Being able to see as far forward as you can, you’d think they’d want to use that.”  Yuuji tossed the magazine aside and sat up on the edge of the bed.  “How can they even do that?”

Brad put the clip back into the gun and put the safety on.  “Some sort of hypnotic implant, the doctor said.  I’ll hit a certain point and not be able to see further because my brain will say ‘enough’ or something like that.  But it should get rid of the nightmares and headaches.  Bit of relief for you as well as me.” he half turned to look at him. 

Yuuji smiled mildly.  “I don’t know how I’d sleep without you waking me up with your random insane screaming.  I might have to change rooms.”

“The one upstairs is available,” Brad said mildly, holding up the gun and checking the sights again. 

*          *          *

“Economics?” Yuuji held the heavy bag still while Brad beat the crap out of it.  “What good is that?  We’re not going to be shop keepers.” 

“Economics is how the world works now,” Brad grunted out the words between sharp punches and jabs.  “Besides, the Economics curriculum includes maths, sciences, gymnastics and arts along with languages.  It’s the most rounded one.  We can’t specialize and still be on our toes in any situation.”

“Maybe you can’t, but I’ve got this lame talent that only makes people want to cuddle up to me,” Yuuji said morosely.  “What good is being ‘lovable’?”

Brad stopped punching and leaned on the bag, smiling at him with that evil little smile of his.  “I wouldn’t know, I’m immune to you.”

“So you say,” Yuuji smiled back.  “Coach is watching.”

“I’m catching my breath,” Brad stated, and continued to lean.  “Come on, Sarazawa, you know what I’m like on my own.  Who’s going to flatten my enormous ego so that I actually learn something?”

“Are you saying you need my help?” Yuuji faked shock.

“No, I’m delegating you to assist me in focusing on my goals.”

“I have goals, too, you know.”

“No, _that_ has goals,” Brad pointed down at Yuuji’s crotch, then up at his head, “ _That_ is a lazy ass loser in the making.  Just because you can get people to do everything for you.”

Yuuji pouted at him sarcastically. 

A whistle blew sharply. “Back at it, _Crawford!_ ” Coach yelled.

Yuuji braced the bag again.  “So, you have looked at my future.”

“I wouldn’t bore myself,” Brad slammed into the bag. 

“ _Come on,_ just a little?” Yuuji wheedled.

“No,” Brad said, and that was final. 

“Am I going to die if I don’t sign up for Economics with you?”

Brad misplaced his punch, caught the bag and laughed, looking at him.  “Yes, you’re going to die a horrible, miserable, and possibly embarrassing death if you don’t take Economics with me,” he grinned.

“Ah well, if you say so,” Yuuji drawled with a heavy sigh.  “Then again, every great man has a greater power behind the throne.”

“Bitch, you can be my Queen,” Brad informed him, and pushed away from the bag to punch it in the gut region.

“Faggot,” Yuuji retorted.

“Whore,” Brad punched the bag harder.

“We’ll _see_ who gets the better grades,” Yuuji threatened.

“You’re on, Blondie,” Brad shot him a look around the bag. 

TWEEEEEET!  “Crawford, Sarazawa! Enough chatter!” Coach roared. 

*          *          *

At Rosencruz, when a student’s full name and rank was announced over the loud speaker by the Herr’s secretary with an order to come to the Chancellor’s office, most students had to be dragged protesting by class monitors after a hour or two of searching (and often with the hounds).

Crawford put on his assembly uniform and hat and marched up the hall ways with Sarazawa also fully kitted out at his side as if _they_ were the ones doing the questioning. 

Eyes went wide in the main hall as Crawford stopped, and Yuuji stepped forward to open the Chancellor’s door for him to pass through first, then shut it behind them. 

Brad took off his hat and tucked it under his arm.  “Herr Chancellor has summoned me?” he said as if it were a mere interruption in his very busy day. 

The woman raised a jaded eyebrow and leaned forward a little to press the button on the intercom.  “Herr Chancellor, Crawford is here, along with another student.”

“Send them in, Hilda,” the Chancellor droned.

She indicated the door to the main office. 

Brad opted to open it himself this time.  Yuuji was so attuned to him by now that the simple acted of stepping forward let him know _that_ joke was over. 

“Herr Chancellor,” Brad walked half way to the desk and bowed smartly, then stood at attention. 

The man behind the desk looked at him as all students hauled to ‘the office’ anywhere are looked at.  Was it some arcane rule that all school heads study entomology on the side?  “Sarazawa, do you not have a life of your own?” he asked dryly.

“Observation of all human interactions is part of my study, Herr Chancellor,” Yuuji smiled, eyes sparkling seductively, and bowed charmingly. 

The chancellor’s face went even more blank with annoyance.  “Crawford!” he barked.  “You have so far in one week shot and killed _seven_ of your fellow students!  What is the meaning of this—rampage!”

Brad’s chin went up a fraction.  “Herr Chancellor, self defense.”

“Self! Defense!” the Chancellor questioned, implying complete disbelief in the boy’s level of sanity. 

“Yes, Herr Chancellor.”

“ _Explain yourself_ ,” the man hissed, his hands clenched fists on the vast rococo desk top.

“The level of personal hostility shown toward me was increasing alarmingly. The possibility of violent retaliation for any defense I raised was becoming intolerable to self preservation.  My only sensible recourse was to eliminate the threat with extreme prejudice, Herr Chancellor.”

The Chancellor’s eyes narrowed.  He was growing more florid, and possibly heading for a stroke, Brad thought.

“If I may, Herr Chancellor?” Yuuji said. 

“You are a witness to these events, I take it?” the man demanded.

“The students Crawford shot have in the past shown unusually antisocial levels of violent hostility for no valid reason to both him and myself as well as other students.”

“Can’t take a little bullying, Crawford?” the man asked snidely.

Brad grew colder in aspect.  “Why should I, Herr Chancellor?” he said glacially.

The man frowned.  “We’ll see if this sort of behavior continues _after_ your adjustment.  Dismissed!”

Brad stood there for a few seconds as if debating something, then bowed less than formally and turned to walk out.  Yuuji followed. 

Other students, more of them now, come to see the spectacle, stared at them in stunned shock as they walked out on their own two feet, no tears, no blood. 

Then the ranks closed behind them and the whispering started.

Around the corner of the building and finally alone, they fell on each others shoulders, then leaned on the wall in hysterical laughter.

*          *          *

He opened his eyes.  Yuuji sat there, looking grim.  “Hey,” he said.

“Are you coming to my competition tomorrow or not?” Yuuji demanded. 

Brad looked at the ceiling.  “How long have I been out?”

“A fucking week!  What the hell, Brad?”

He tried again and again to ‘see’.  Nothing.  Nothing more than ten seconds into the future.  It was like hitting a brick wall over and over.  He couldn’t.  He just couldn’t.  There wasn’t enough information to make decisions, not enough to dare make one.  He didn’t dare do anything!

His heart rate started to spike again.  The machine notified the nurse’s station. More sedatives were tipped in to his drip line by the machine.

Yuuji stood up and leaned over him to get into his face.  “Stop it!” he hissed.  “Stop it!”

“I—can’t,” Brad said shakily, unable to move, petrified with fear.  “I can’t.”

“Brad, they’re going to put you down!” Yuuji said.  “You have to pull up out of this, or they’re going to finish you!  You’re no use to them like this!” 

“I can’t,” Brad said.  “I’m so afraid.  I can’t control it.  I can’t live like this.”

Yuuji had his hand on his shoulders.  He slid them under the thin cotton gown, skin to skin.  “Listen to me,” he ordered.  “Brad, stop it!”

“Let me go,” Brad pleaded.  “I can’t.”

Yuuji quickly pulled the IV needle out of the plug set in the vein on his arm so the medication wouldn’t interfere and then tried again, his hands back on Brad’s skin, near his jugular veins.  “Listen to me, Crawford.  Calm down, deep breaths, calm down.”

“What are you doing!” the nurse demanded as she practically flew into the room. 

“Stand back!” Yuuji ordered with everything he had. 

She blinked, stunned frozen momentarily. 

He leaned over Brad again, “Listen to me, listen to my voice, come on now, breath deep,” his breath met Brad’s and was inhaled.  “Breath deep and listen to me,” he repeated again. 

“Immune,” Brad managed to say. 

“Are you now?” he said.  “Come on, calm down,” he urged firmly.  “That’s it, calm down.  Obey me for once, just for the hell of it.”

The trembling was slowing down now. 

“What _is_ this?” the nurse asked, still irritated to find her patient being disturbed. 

“My talent.  You either let me work or by god, I’ll kill you myself, so just shut up and wait your turn!” Yuuji told her.  “You’re coming to my meet tomorrow, Crawford or I’m going to let them axe you.”

“I can’t,” Brad said weakly. “Something might happen.”

“ _Shit happens all the damned time!_ ” Yuuji raised his voice again.  “You can’t be afraid and _live!_ ”

“Not like this,” he begged. “Not like this.  I can’t see anything.  It’s all just a big fucking blank.  I feel like I’m stepping off a cliff every step.”

“This is how _everyone else_ has to live!” Yuuji insisted.  “ _None_ of us can see what’s going to happen from one minute to the next, you’ve got what? Five, ten seconds still?”  

“Useless,” Brad said. “It’s all gone. Not enough time for anything.”

Yuuji looked down at him, desperate.  “You can kill me later,” he stated, and bent in closer to kiss him.  Tongue and all. 

*          *          *

 Brad sat down on the bleacher bench and drew a shaky breath.  He was medicated to the gills, he knew that.  Without the drugs he was helpless.  But he couldn’t let anyone else see how terrified he was to be outside, in this crowd, no cover, nothing to hide behind, his heart thumping.  He was taxing his power by keeping it up too much; five seconds, six, seven, barely enough to decide where to put his foot, where to sit, where to look, where to fucking _think!_ His fists clenched. He had to calm himself down before someone noticed.

Yuuji stood with his team for the meet, fidgeting with his terry cloth wrist bands, his sandy gold mop of hair bright in the sun.  He’d been letting it grow out now that they were third years and allowed to.  He’d practiced for months for this meet, determined to take the first prize.  Brad knew how much it meant to him to achieve something on his own, without his ‘stupid talent’ for manipulating others.

Yuuji looked up, searching the bleachers, and seeing him, grinned and waved in broad strokes of the air. 

Brad felt the familiar lightness reach into him and despite the medication, his heart beat a little faster.  He smiled and waved back, and somehow, it felt—normal.  He smiled and looked around, and the bright spring day was beautiful.  Probably the drugs, but it was really was a beautiful day.  He looked back at Yuuji and took another deep shuddery breath. 

Yuuji smiled and blew him a kiss off his fingers and winked, the damned clown. 

Brad flipped him the middle finger and mouthed “Asshole” at him.  

The other boys and girls on the team looked up from their stretching and shifting, limbering up long limbs, to see where Yuuji was play acting to, and whatever they said, Yuuji seemed to ignore it. 

But one boy stared too long, his mouth too tight a line.  He said something to Yuuji who laughed curtly and went back to fiddling with his wrist bands and looking around at the obstacle track, his nervousness playing out.  The boy frowned again, then looked up at Brad. 

Brad reached into his jacket and unlatched the holster of his gun.  Some things _were_ worth living for, he decided.

 

 

End Note:

 The title from this comes from the Cowboy Bebop song, Cosmic Dare (Pretty with a Pistol). 

Disclaimer: Please don’t take this imaginary situation as sage advice for handling people who annoy you. This is not some basis for a whack job manifesto.  Do try to get along with people.  

After all,  you’ll need someone to hide behind when the real whack jobs start shooting.

 

 


End file.
